WAIKIKI, Hawaii, September 3. THE Australians won the overall men’s and women’s races at the prestigious Waikiki Roughwater Swim, with Rhys Mainstone and Miranda Bell taking the victories.

Mainstone repeated as champion of the 3.84-kilometer swim, crossing the finish line in 48 minutes and 10 seconds, well ahead of countryman George O’Brien, who was second to complete the swim, in 48:22. Another Aussie, Ridge Grimsey, placed third in 50:47.

Miranda Bell finished in 53:05 to win the women’s race, her first time competing in the swim, which is in its 44th year. American Luane Rowe was second in 53:28, while Australian Jessica Collins took third in 56:39. Rowe was second last year to Becca Mann, who won with a 50:38 to take the women’s race and finish 10th overall.

Other notable swims included a 13th-place finish for legendary pool Olympian Kosuke Kitajima, branching out into open water swimming. Kitajima swam the course in 53:31 to win the 30-34 age group. Trent Grimsey, who had just announced his retirement from elite competition, placed 11th in 53:20 for the top time in the 25-29 age group.

Australian Malcolm Allen, who won the race in 1999 and swam at the 1996 Olympics, placed fourth overall with a time of 50:54 for the 40-year-old. Alex Kostich, a regular competitor in the Waikiki Roughwater Swim and a former USA Swimming national team member, placed sixth overall in 51:12 as a 43-year-old.